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Tag: christopher marlowe personal injury lawyer

Press Conference: Mother of 12-Year-Old Who Was Kidnapped & Murdered Files Neglient Security Lawsuit

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Press Conference Scheduled 12/18/18

Mother of a 12 Year Old Murdered By a Convicted Sex Offender Says Owners/Managers of an Apartment Complex Could Have Prevented the Tragedy

Pensacola, FL – Shantara Hurry, the mother of 12-year-old Naomi Jones, who police say was murdered by convicted sex offender Robert Howard in 2017, is filing a negligent security lawsuit against those responsible for the apartment complex where her daughter was kidnapped.

Jones went missing from her apartment located at 1460 E. Johnson Avenue in Pensacola, Florida on May 31, 2017. The disappearance captivated and mobilized the community to find Naomi. Her remains were eventually found in an Escambia County creek on June 5. Two days later, Howard was arrested and charged with the kidnapping and murder. The 39-year-old convicted sex offender lived in the same complex as the 12-year-old girl and her family.

The lawsuit against the owners of that apartment complex, Aspen Village Acquisition, and the management company, Progressive Management of America, highlights that the two companies should have known or knew that they were allowing a convicted sex offender, Howard, to live in the complex.  The lawsuit  adds that apartment ownership and management “breached its duty of reasonable care by permitting an unregistered sex offender to reside upon the Premises, thus allowing the offender continual, unfettered access to young children and others upon whom persons with his predilections are known to prey.”

The Haggard Law Firm is representing Jones’ mother in the case. Trial lawyer Christopher Marlowe (email CLM@HaggardLawFirm.com) says for the family the press conference and lawsuit is about holding everyone accountable for this tragic loss and preventing it from happening again.

“Ms. Hurry wants to bring attention to this civil action (lawsuit) in hopes that it will motivate all apartment complex owners and managers to exercise actionable, logical and moral care by never allowing offenders to live in their property, giving them access to children,” says Marlowe.

 

Press/Media Conference Details

  • 11 AM on Tuesday, December 18th, 2018
  •  820 North 12th Avenue Pensacola FL 32501 (Law Office of Samuel Bearman)
  • Speaking:  Shantara Hurry, Naomi Jones’ mother,  Christopher Marlowe, The Haggard Law Firm, Trial Lawyer
  • News Media contact: J.P. Hervis, Brandstory Communications, JP@BrandstoryCommunications.com

Summer Swimming Safety Tips

Posted on by HaggardTeam

 

By Christopher Marlowe, trial lawyer, The Haggard Law Firm

Deep into the summer months, swimming pools offer a well-earned respite from the sauna intensity of the sun, and the steambath that follows a warm summer rain.  We eagerly jump into swimming pools at hotels, resorts, friends’ houses and on cruise ships.  Those who own pools usually don’t think about pool safety all that much, apart from supervising any children who may be using it.  We assume, subconsciously, that other peoples’ pools, and especially those operated by businesses, are at least as safe as the one we have at our own house, and that the rules at home will be followed as strictly in a public pool as they would be anywhere else.

 

These are dangerous assumptions. If you think that checking the safety of a swimming pool before using it is unnecessary or smacks of paranoia, consider this: drowning is the leading cause of injury death among children ages 1–4 in Florida.  Too many children (of all ages) have drowned without a capable supervisor watching the area, and others have drowned while those nearby confused horseplay with a deadly drowning underway. Our team at Haggard Law Firm has litigated cases time and time again of drownings or near drownings that could have been prevented by those responsible for a pool taking the proper measures to make it the safest environment possible. And yes, many of these cases have been again apartment complexes and hotels.

Here are easy steps to take to ensure safety around pools during your summer vacation:

Continue reading “Summer Swimming Safety Tips”

VIDEO: Why Do You Enjoy Picking a Jury

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Haggard Law Firm partner and trial attorney Christopher Marlowe says one of the elements of a civil trial that he looks forward to the most…is picking a jury.

 

$12 Million Negligent Security Wrongful Death Verdict,Press Conf. Today

Posted on by HaggardTeam

MEDIA CONFERENCE MONDAY 1:30PM- Security Video Provided

Local Family of Woman Beaten to Death During Sexual Assault Say Hotel Could Have Prevented Her Murder.

 Machado pleading for help from hotel staff of Yaimi Guevara Machado with father of Yaimi Guevara Machado

 

A Miami-Dade County Jury Agreed, Just Ordered Hotel to Pay Parents $12 Million.

 Hialeah, FL – Late Friday a Miami Dade County jury awarded the parents of Yaimi Guevara Machado $12 million following a five day trial that originated from a wrongful death negligent security lawsuit filed against the Chesapeake Motel.

On April 10, 2016, the 30-year-old Machado was locked out of her hotel room only wearing a bra and jeans when she asked the staff of the Hialeah motel for help (video/audio available). They refused. Moments later, police say, she was beaten to death by Ronald Lopez Andrade who has been charged with first degree murder.

Machado’s family filed the lawsuit against the owners of the Chesapeake Motel because they believe its staff had several opportunities to prevent the tragedy. Along with not assisting Machado when she approached them, the hotel’s staff:

  • Allowed Andrade, who was not a hotel guest,  to linger on the property
  • sold Andrade alcohol (video/audio available)
  • fielded a request from the inebriated Andrade for help to find a prostitute (video/audio available)
  • did not kick Andrade off property when he sought sexual favors from a housekeeper

Machado’s parents, Julia Machado and Rafael Guevara, hope their successful lawsuit sends a message to budget motels to follow the best practices in the lodging industry to provide the security that will help prevent tragedies like these from destroying another family.

The Haggard Law Firm’s Christopher Marlowe and Jason Brenner were joined by co-counsel, Alexis Izquierdo , in litigating this case.

Over the last decade The Haggard law Firm has handled hundreds of premises liability / negligent security cases, delivering more than $300 million in verdicts and settlement in that time.

Media Conference Details

Continue reading “$12 Million Negligent Security Wrongful Death Verdict,Press Conf. Today”

Pregnant Woman Runs Over Suspected Purse Thief in Walmart Parking Lot

Posted on by HaggardTeam

A pregnant woman was caught on video running down on alleged purse snatcher with her SUV in a Walmart parking lot in North Carolina. Christine Braswell, 26, told local media that she found the man rummaging through her SUV  before he took off running with her purse. The suspect, Robert Raines, who was taken to a hospital with minor injuries, was charged with felony breaking and entering, larceny and misdemeanor damage to property.

Watch Video of Ashville North Carolina Incident: https://youtu.be/v4umzNJIqMk  

Haggard Law Attorney Christopher Marlowe says this incident is another reminder that Walmart is yet to truly commit to addressing its well-reported security issues. “Walmart parking lots remain hot spots for violence and mayhem.  This most recent event caught on camera in Asheville, North Carolina demonstrates how quickly a “nonviolent” crime can become a matter of life or death” says Marlowe, who was quoted in a Bloomberg Businessweek investigation earlier this year on Walmart’s consistent security issues (click to read).

He adds, “When auto burglary, theft and other ‘petty’ crimes are allowed to flourish in the vast concrete expanses that Walmart uses everywhere as its parking lots, more of the same will follow.  Either meaningful security is there to protect customers, or dangerous encounters like this will remain the status quo.”

For her part, Braswell was charged with misdemeanor assault with a deadly weapon.

Click to read article by Christopher Marlowe and Published in the Daily Business Review on WalMart Security Concerns as Published

 

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